


Trust

by thesometimeswarrior



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Canon Compliant, Episode: s03e20 Sozin's Comet part 3 Into the Inferno, Ficlet, Gen, Mentor/Protégé, Military Ranks, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-13
Updated: 2017-11-13
Packaged: 2019-02-01 22:19:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12713970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesometimeswarrior/pseuds/thesometimeswarrior
Summary: “I served under you, sir. In Ba Sing Se. That is in the, uh, first siege of Ba Sing Se.” The lieutenant swallows. “You were the best commanding officer I’ve ever had, sir.”“I was a different man then, lieutenant.”The man breathes, feels the audacity rise up in him, and wonders if it has anything to do with the Comet.  “I think you’re still the same person, sir.”Iroh encounters a familiar face while fighting to liberate Ba Sing Se.





	Trust

“General _Iroh_?” 

The lieutenant stops short in his tracks, and once he signals to his men to stand down, drops his hands to sides—suddenly powerless despite the Comet pulsing through his lungs and muscles. 

The man in front of him is no less formidable than he was the last time he saw him up close, six years ago, even if now he isn’t donning his Fire Nation armor but another, unfamiliar uniform, even if now he is, by all official accounts, a traitor.

(Clearly the man _is_ a traitor. The lieutenant has been following current events as much as anyone else. Not only did General Iroh sabotage the Siege of the North and attack the Crown Prince and Princess in an attempt to do the same with the second Siege of Ba Sing Se, he broke out of prison when brought to justice for these crimes. And now, as if all that weren't enough, he is here attacking Fire Nation solders in an attempt to take back a rightfully-conquered Fire Nation city...And yet…)

The General keeps his hands raised in an attack-ready stance, but holds his fire, nods once, solemnly.

“I served under you, sir. In Ba Sing Se. That is in the, uh, _first_ Siege of Ba Sing Se.” The lieutenant swallows. “You were the best commanding officer I’ve ever had.”

“I was a different man then, lieutenant.” (Can it be, wonders the lieutenant, that there is something that sounds like remorse, like _regret_ in his voice?) 

He breathes, feels the audacity rise up in him, and wonders if it has anything to do with the Comet. “I think you’re still the same person, sir.”

“If you think you can convince me that my cause is not a just one or that I should not—”

“No, sir. I meant…I won’t try to understand what caused you to do what you’re doing, or what your relationship to the Fire Lord is. That’s all over my head. But I know what it’s like to serve under a good man. You grow to trust him with your life.” He pauses, stands aside to allow the General to pass. “I won’t attack you, sir.” 

Iroh bows his head. “Thank you, lieutenant.”

“Best of luck to you, sir.”

"And to you." 

Once the General is gone, the lieutenant orders his men to move out—they still have a city to defend.

His men nod and hurry to comply. They trust him, after all, and that’s a responsibility he takes at least as seriously as his oath to the Fire Lord. But perhaps this isn’t surprising—he learned about command from the best.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! I love comments!


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